Recently, I was asked if I was interested in being a guest speaker for a season opener, meet and greet, for a 100-member strong, women’s golf league. As a personal trainer who works exclusively with women specializing in longevity, and a golf enthusiast myself, the idea to be their guest speaker intrigued me. While the thought of public speaking for the first time in front of such a large group of women, did give me a little anxiety initially, the opportunity to speak about golf, nutrition and the benefits of golf as a form of exercise, felt right. Sure, why not I thought, and agreed to take on the challenge.
In preparation for the event, I was curious what the demographic of the room would be and was pleasantly surprised when they shared that the members were mostly retired 60 plus with many in their 70’s and 80’s.
I arrived early so I would have the opportunity to mingle with the guest before the event started. The women in the room ranged from teachers, university administrators, doctors, accountants, physiotherapists, government employees, business owners, retired domestic engineers, and other professions, with many golfing more than once a week in multiple leagues throughout the week. And, in that bunch, there were quite a few who had either had or were scheduled to have knee or hip replacements. It became obvious to me that nothing was going to stop these ladies from their highly anticipated golf season.
As I worked my way through the room, I discovered that not only did these women golf, but many also had either gym memberships or participated in other activities such as dance classes, Pilates, yoga, and swimming. Sometimes all in one day! Now, that’s impressive.
As the evening progressed and after a lovely meal I was called to the podium. I shared my thoughts on building strength, improving mobility, and staying active and healthy at every stage of life. I started with, what I framed as golfs “Big Four” which was mobility, stability and balance, functional strength, and grip strength with “Quick Tips” they could do from home in preparation to the season.
I discussed the importance of dynamic warm-ups to significantly reduced injury risks, smart equipment and play to ensure stamina through 18 holes of golf, hydrating with electrolytes to prevent dehydration, and nutrition to facilitate 3 to 4 hours of play.
I touched upon the “mental game and community,” and the importance of supporting each other through the highs and lows of the game.
In closing, my encouragement to them was to stretch a little, lift a little, but most importantly, laugh a lot on the course. Which quite frankly by the laughter and camaraderie I experienced with these fabulous women throughout the evening, they already had that last one nailed. The energy in the room was contagious and in my opinion these women were all amazing athletes already!
Golf has many benefits. It is a challenging sport that requires balance, coordination, strength, and stamina. It’s a mental game of strategy, patience and the ability to navigate the nuances of every hole throughout the course. Alongside that, it’s a social sport that brings people together in the great outdoors. Golf is one of those sports that simply has no age limit.
